April, now an assistant professor at University of Delaware, and Katie presented a dynamic culture platform in which microwells are patterned and later connected through cytocompatible photocleavage of a poly(ethylene glycol)-based hydrogel to examine matrix geometry effects on cell fate.

Chelsea demonstrated that human Mesenchymal Stem Cells align along topographies patterned on the surface of photodegradable hydrogels. She further showed that cells will dynamically change their cytoskeletal organization in response to a modified topography.

Former group member Cole DeForest, now performing postdoctoral research under David Tirrell, published an excellent review of cutting edge bioactive hydrogel reserach titled "Bioactive Hydrogels for Regenerative Medicine" in Annual Review of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.

Abby Bernard showed that pancreatic beta-cells aggregates could be formed in photopolymerized microwell devices. These cell aggregates secreted significantly more insulin per cell than dispersed cells.

Recent Anseth Group Alum Josh McCall showed the that proteins encapsulated in hydrogels formed by radical-mediated thiol-ene polymerization maintain significantly more activity than those encapsulated in gels formed by more traditional acrylate polymerization.

Sharon (Huan) Wang shows that valvular interstitial cells will return to a quiescent phenotype after reducing the modulus of the substrate on which they are plated using the nitrobenzyl photochemistry the Anseth group brought into hydrogels. The figure shows the reduction in alpha smooth muscule actin (green) in gels that have been softened.